Paul Samuelson's Historiography: More Wag Than Whig

Abstract

In this review essay of Steven G. Medema and Anthony M. C. Waterman's collection of some of Paul Samuelson's writings in the history of economics, the author argues that Samuelson's claim to have written “Whig history” is spurious. Moreover, the author argues that Samuelson's own writings on modern economics are, whether explicit or not, profoundly autobiographical. Samuelson, in constructing a literature ostensibly about contemporary economics, was simultaneously constructing a literature in which he and contemporary economics could be jointly considered and appraised.